


The Song of Cobas Haven

by lirin



Category: The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: 5 Times, Drabble Sequence, Gen, Music
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-12
Updated: 2018-07-12
Packaged: 2019-06-09 08:22:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15263334
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lirin/pseuds/lirin
Summary: Five times the song was passed on.





	The Song of Cobas Haven

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Zdenka](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zdenka/gifts).



The final briefing was over. Tonight, Thorongil's fleet would leave Dol Amroth and sail to Umbar. Father had allowed Imrahil to observe all of their meetings, though he would not be permitted to accompany them.

" _The seabirds fly before our prow_ ," Imrahil hummed softly to himself, in the scattered chatter that followed the meeting. Soon, everyone here would be departing Cobas Haven, like it said in the song.

A nearby lieutenant clapped Imrahil on the shoulder. "Here, let's have a song!" One last bit of pleasure, before the battle. Imrahil sang it through twice, and soon everyone was singing along.

* * *

"My mother taught this song to me when I was your age," Mother said. "It's about the land where I grew up, near the sea."

"What's sea?" Faramir asked. He was merely a baby, and could be forgiven for not knowing such things.

"It's like the Anduin, but much bigger!" Boromir told him. "It goes on forever."

"Or almost forever," Mother said. "Now, can you remember how the song goes? _The sky is blue, as are the waves…_ "

Faramir only babbled, but Boromir knew all the words. He could teach them to Faramir when he was big enough to remember.

* * *

Their journey south from Rivendell was quiet for the most part. On only a few days did they find campsites sheltered enough to risk a bit of fire and cheer.

Aragorn stood guard that day, watching the sky intently from the edge of the dell. Down below, the hobbits were singing some drinking song from the Shire.

"Now this is a song from my home," Boromir followed them in turn. Scattered words filtered up out of the dell. " _...No eagle, hawk or raven…_ "

Aragorn thought the song sounded familiar. Perhaps he had heard it in Gondor, so many years ago.

* * *

"'Tis only a trifle," Faramir said. "My mother taught it to me long ago, and I recall it even as the memory of her face fades. But it is no great poetry. Her mother invented it when she was only a maiden herself. And I am no minstrel."

Éowyn laughed at his grimace. "Enough excuses! I will hear the song, no matter what you say!"

"Very well," Faramir said. Clearing his throat ostentatiously, he began.

_"The sky is blue, as are the waves;_  
_All green is but a memory._  
_The water of the ocean laves_  
_Our hull in gentle reverie."_

* * *

During the war, in the worst of the battles at Osgiliath, Faramir had never dared dream of living out the year, much less of gaining such happiness as this: watching his wife, with their firstborn son in her arms, singing the same song his mother had once sung to him. Elboron could not even understand speech yet, but not many years hence, he could learn to sing their song in turn, and see the sea it spoke of for himself.

_"The seabirds fly before our prow;_  
_No eagle, hawk or raven_  
_Accompanies their escort now_  
_As we leave Cobas Haven."_


End file.
